FDC problems start and end with Besigye cult – Alaso

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) deputy president for Eastern Region, Alice Alaso has revealed that her exit from the party has been imminent, as she started contemplating since 2015.

In an interview with NTV Uganda yesterday, Alaso said that one of the reasons that accelerated her exit from the party was the Besigye cult-like following by party members and the constant internal bickering.

“I haven’t taken this decision yesterday night, I have weighed this decision since 2015 and I was hoping it would be resolved, every time we tried to resolve but nothing happened,” she said.

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Alaso claims that FDC is under the firm grip of its founding president Dr Kiiza Besigye. She says members accuse whoever disagrees with Besigye, a mole.

“If you try to do anything contrary to Besigye, you are a mole, anti-defiant and so many things. There is a cult and we can’t be working under a cult arrangement,” she said.

“Our choice of a different approach was get out of space, go build your party, structures, and leave the group that chose one party one structure of defiance to build on their defiance,” she added.

According to Alaso, the biggest regret with FDC came during the Bugiri Municipality by-elections which were won by JEEMA candidate Asuman Basalirwa.

Alaso says she was shocked that FDC refused to support Basalirwa despite all the efforts JEEMA had undertaken to support FDC previously.

“How could we have done that to JEEMA, of all political parties in Uganda the sacrifices JEEMA has made to support FDC, we couldn’t have done that.”

Alaso and Gen Mugisha Muntu announced they are leaving the FDC on Tuesday, it remains unclear who else is walking out with them.

In April 2010, FDC expelled current Kampala Minister Beti Kamya for alleged hostility to the Party. Kamya had written a missive in which she accused party leaders specifically Dr Kiiza Besigye of allegedly manipulating the constitution to lock out certain people from top positions and being intolerant to dissenting views.

Kamya would later form her own party (Uganda Federal Alliance) and run for presidency before ending up in the wide open hands of President Museveni.